There are two popular routes to a green card for investors and business owners.

These categories are:

• EB5 Investment Green Card

  This is an eligibility category established to attract foreigners to invest in the U.S. and also create jobs for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The petitioning individual’s investment must be at least $500,000 in a new commercial enterprise in the U.S. In some cases, a $1 million investment is required.

• EB1C Multinational Executives or Managers

  This category allows international companies to transfer overseas high level managers or executives to their U.S. entities to take permanent high level managerial or executive positions.

Both EB5 and EB1C involve complicated business and legal issues. People often confuse these two categories and collectively call them both investment green cards. Aside from some similarities, EB5 and EB1C are drastically different categories and the wrong choice may result in a strategic disaster. Companies or individuals interested in these categories consult and seek advice from experienced attorneys early in the planning process to avoid unnecessary mistakes or setbacks.